


Telling Tales: An Interrogation

by beggar_always



Category: Psych
Genre: Community: psychflashfic, Family, Fluff, Gen, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-08
Updated: 2010-01-08
Packaged: 2017-10-06 00:28:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/47679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beggar_always/pseuds/beggar_always
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Henry attempts to tell his son a bedtime story. Naturally, Shawn interrupts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Telling Tales: An Interrogation

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Русский available: [Сказки на ночь: Допрос](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1391209) by [krapivka37](https://archiveofourown.org/users/krapivka37/pseuds/krapivka37)



> For the psychflashfic (on LJ) Challenge #9: Fairy Tales.

"Once upon a time there was a cop," Henry begins in his best storytelling voice.

"State, county or local?" Shawn promptly interrupts. Henry blinks at his six-year-old son. Wasn't he supposed to be out of the questions phase?

"Uh…local," Henry decides quickly. He takes a breath to move on before Shawn speaks again.

"Town or city?" Henry frowns.

"City?" Henry makes a guess. Shawn's expression is one of deep concentration and Henry sincerely hopes he's not trying to think of any more questions.

"How long has he been a cop?" Shawn asks innocently. Henry runs a hand through his hair, thinking maybe six had been the wrong age to begin teaching his kid basic interrogation tactics.

"A few years…" Henry offers tentatively. Shawn gives him a small nod of acceptance and Henry lets out a breath of relief.

"So…once upon a time there was a city cop with some experience under his belt…"

"What's on his belt?" Shawn asks. Henry groans, earning a confused look from his son.

"His belt looks just like mine. Now, can we move on?" Shawn shrugs, as if it's not his fault Henry can't get past the first sentence. "So this cop is facing the toughest case of his career…"

"What kind of case?"

"I'm trying to get to it, Shawn," Henry says around a clenched jaw.

"Where is it?" Henry stares at his son. Madeleine has to be waiting in their bedroom, cracking up, by now. She could have warned him when she suggested Henry take a turn at Shawn's bedtime story.

"It's at the station," Henry finally says. Apparently it's enough for Shawn as he looks at his father expectantly, waiting for the story to continue.

"This cop is after some really bad guys…"

"Mom says that's…_sexess_." Shawn looks proud of himself for knowing a big word, so Henry doesn't bother to correct him. Instead, he sighs and knows he's setting himself up for another tangent when he asks, "What is?"

"Calling 'em bad guys. 'Cause girls can be bad too. So it should be bad _people_." Sometimes Henry thinks his wife lives to make his life more difficult.

"It's just an expression, Shawn," Henry explains. Shawn looks confused at that, but Henry plows forward, determined to put the little smartass to sleep in the next fifteen minutes. "So these bad _people_…" Six is too young for his son to have a smirk like that, isn't it? "…kidnapped all these beautiful princesses…" Shawn starts to open his mouth "…and princes," Henry adds in a rush, hoping to forestall another lecture on sexism from his first-grader. "And the cop can't figure out how."

"Why not?" Henry takes a little relief in noticing the droop of Shawn's eyelids.

"They're very sneaky. The cop can't even figure out how they're getting in and out of the…castles…because they leave all the doors locked."

"Do they have a key?" Henry sighs and reminds himself it's partially his own fault Shawn always gives away the surprise ending.

"Yeah, kiddo, they have a key," Henry says softly as he watches Shawn sink into his pillow. He stands to bend over and kiss Shawn on the forehead as he tucks the covers around him. Henry watches his son sleep for a long moment, a fond smile on his lips. He thinks their next lesson may be about learning to ask fewer questions and let the story flow on its own.

/end


End file.
